TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Florida State soccer head coach Mark Krikorian is back in Tallahassee after spending three weeks in Germany serving as an advanced scout for the United States Women’s National Team at the 2011 Women’s World Cup.

Krikorian, who is entering his seventh season as head coach at FSU, was one of four scouts that provided expert analysis for Team USA during this year’s World Cup. He scouted eight teams, in eight games covering six different cities in Germany. Krikorian was on hand in Berlin for the opening game featuring Germany and Canada and was in the stands for the U.S.A.’s amazing comeback in the quarterfinals against Brazil.

Over the three weeks, Krikorian was in Bochum to see Japan vs. New Zealand and Canada vs. France; Moenchengladbach to see Brazil vs. Australia and France vs. Germany; Wolfsburg to witness Brazil vs. Norway and in Leverkusen to see Australia vs. Norway.

“This was a tremendous experience,” said Krikorian. “To have the chance to watch the best players in the world and to witness the playing styles for each of the different countries represented at this year’s World Cup was an experience of a lifetime.”

This marks the second time that Krikorian has served as an advanced scout for Team USA working for then-U.S. head coach April Heinrichs at the 2003 Women’s World Cup held in the United States.

The trip also allowed Krikorian to re-connect with many former colleagues that served as his assistant at some point in time during his 21 years as head coach at the professional and college level. Pia Sundhage, the current U.S. women’s national team head coach, was an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Charge of the Women’s United Soccer Association for two seasons from 2001-02. Erica Walsh is an assistant coach for Team USA and the head women’s coach at Penn State, served as an assistant coach in Krikorian’s first year at FSU in 2005. Paul Rogers, who serves as the goalkeeper coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team, was an assistant coach and goalkeeper coach at Florida State for two seasons (2007-08). John Natale, head women’s coach at the University of Hartford and one of the four advanced scouts used by the USA at this year’s World Cup, was also an assistant with Sundhage for two seasons with the Philadelphia Charge.